Gene Stallings enters Hall of Fame

Stallings celebrates after beating Miami to win the 1992 national championship.

By Chase GoodbreadSports Writer

Published: Friday, May 28, 2010 at 8:39 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, May 28, 2010 at 8:39 a.m.

TUSCALOOSA | Former University of Alabama coach Gene Stallings has been elected to the College Football Hall of Fame.

Facts

Highlights of Stallings’ football legacy

1954-56: Player at Texas A&Munder Paul W. “Bear”Bryant and was a member of thefamous “Junction Boys.”

1958-64: Assisant coach at UA under Bryant. Helped the Crimson Tide win national titles in 1961 and 1964.

1965-71: Head coach at Texas A&M. Won SWC championship in 1968, the same season he beat Bryant in the Cotton Bowl.

1990-96: Head coach at UA. Guided Tide to the national championship in 1992 with a 13-0 record.

The election of the former University of Alabama head coach, who led the Crimson Tide to the 1992 national championship, was announced at a news conference Thursday in New York.

Stallings, who was chosen by the National Football Foundation’s Veterans Committee, joined 13 other former college players and coaches in the 2010 Hall of Fame class. Reached during a meeting of the Texas A&M University Board of Regents, on which Stallings sits, Stallings deferred much of the credit for his induction to his former players and assistant coaches.

“The very bottom line is that I hope every player that ever played for me feels like they had a little something to do with me getting in there,” said Stallings, 75. “I would only wish that they all feel that way. The real joy in coaching was seeing the players graduate. Something that stood above other things for me was the success of the player in whatever it was they did with their lives.

“Winning games is important, everybody knows that, but seeing the success of the player was the real joy of it all for me.”

Stallings played under Paul W. “Bear” Bryant at Texas A&M as one of the fabled “Junction Boys” who survived a brutal training camp experience in Junction, Texas, and he joined Bryant’s coaching staff at Alabama, serving as an assistant from 1958-64. He returned to Texas A&M in 1965 as head coach, staying through 1961 and compiling a 27-45-1 record.

Stallings later coached in the National Football League as an assistant under Tom Landry with the Dallas Cowboys for 14 years before being named head coach of the St. Louis (later Phoenix) Cardinals from 1986-89, going 23-34-1.

UA Director of Athletics Mal Moore coached alongside Stallings early in Stallings’ coaching career at Alabama, and later on Stallings’ staff both with the Cardinals and at Alabama.

“From his years as a young assistant coach under coach Bryant through his head coaching days here at Alabama, coach Stallings produced a career that is richly deserving of this recognition,” Moore said in a statement. “Coach Stallings was more than just a head coach at Alabama — his manner of doing things, his leadership and his passion took our entire program to another level.”

Stallings’ collegiate coaching career was highlighted by an undefeated, 13-0 season in 1992 for the national title. The Crimson Tide was not ranked No. 1 in the nation until dispatching Miami, 34-13, in the Sugar Bowl.

Stallings’ on-field record in seven seasons at Alabama (1990-96) was 70-16-1, although the NCAA only recognizes a 62-25 mark after stripping UA of eight victories and a tie from the 1993 season on an eligibility ruling. Stallings’ third Alabama team won the inaugural Southeastern Conference Championship Game, 28-21 over Florida at Birmingham’s Legion Field, just weeks before topping the Hurricanes for the national crown.

His tenure at UA also included four SEC West titles (1992, 1993, 1994, 1996), and five bowl victories.

“I think it’s well deserved. I think it’s a little late, too. I think it should have happened a long time ago,” said John Copeland, a star defensive end on Stallings’ 1992 national championship team. “He’s one of the best men on the planet. Of all the coaches I’ve had who I still talk to, head coaches, he and (former Hinds Community College coach) James Murphy were the most influential in my life. He’s one of the best men I’ve ever run across.”

Ellis Johnson, who coached linebackers for Stallings at UA, saw championship qualities in the head coach’s approach.

“When you talk about coach Stallings, there’s a million things that could come to mind, but the one thing that separated him from anyone I’ve ever coached with was his consistency,” Johnson said. “He never varied. He never came up with a new practice trick or some gimmick to get the players up or get them back down.

“Every practice, every meeting, every game, every play was important.”

In winning, too, Stallings was consistent. Johnson notes that Stallings’ average of 10 wins per season during his Alabama tenure restored the program’s legacy.

“Coach brought that thing back to a level where if they only won nine games, people wondered what was wrong,” Johnson said.

Stallings also made an impact on the Tuscaloosa community beyond football. He was instrumental in the development of The Arc of Tuscaloosa County, a local nonprofit organization dedicated to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. His son, John Mark Stallings, who died Aug. 2, 2008, had Down syndrome.

“Every person associated with The Arc of Tuscaloosa County will be forever grateful to coach Gene Stallings,” said Donna Callahan, the organization’s director of operations and outreach. “Twenty years ago, coach Stallings worked tirelessly to create the first golf tournament in the area. Proceeds from the tournament have augmented our operating fund, helping us expand our programs and services.

“Over the years we have purchased newer, safer transportation. We were also able to create a rainy-day fund. With proration and continuing funding challenges, that reserve is vital. One of the most important things coach Stallings did for us is to bring Johnny (John Mark) into our lives. We loved him and feel his presence still. The leadership and support we received from coach Stallings inspired us to reach higher than we ever thought we could.”

Former Wisconsin coach Barry Alvarez was the only coach inducted in the 2010 class along with Stallings. Also included in the class were the late Pat Tillman, who starred at Arizona State before giving up an NFL career to serve in the Army in 2002, and Heisman Trophy winner Desmond Howard. Others in Stallings’ induction class: defensive lineman Dennis Byrd of North Carolina State; center Ronnie Caveness of Arkansas; defensive lineman Ray Childress of Texas A&M; guard Randy Cross of UCLA; running back Sam Cunningham of Southern California; quarterback Mark Herrmann of Purdue; receiver Clarkston Hines of Duke; defensive back Chet Moeller of Navy; halfback Jerry Stovall of LSU; and linebacker Alfred Williams of Colorado.

<p>TUSCALOOSA | Former University of Alabama coach Gene Stallings has been elected to the College Football Hall of Fame.</p><p>The election of the former University of Alabama head coach, who led the Crimson Tide to the 1992 national championship, was announced at a news conference Thursday in New York. </p><p>Stallings, who was chosen by the National Football Foundation's Veterans Committee, joined 13 other former college players and coaches in the 2010 Hall of Fame class. Reached during a meeting of the Texas A&M University Board of Regents, on which Stallings sits, Stallings deferred much of the credit for his induction to his former players and assistant coaches.</p><p>“The very bottom line is that I hope every player that ever played for me feels like they had a little something to do with me getting in there,” said Stallings, 75. “I would only wish that they all feel that way. The real joy in coaching was seeing the players graduate. Something that stood above other things for me was the success of the player in whatever it was they did with their lives.</p><p>“Winning games is important, everybody knows that, but seeing the success of the player was the real joy of it all for me.”</p><p>Stallings played under Paul W. “Bear” Bryant at Texas A&M as one of the fabled “Junction Boys” who survived a brutal training camp experience in Junction, Texas, and he joined Bryant's coaching staff at Alabama, serving as an assistant from 1958-64. He returned to Texas A&M in 1965 as head coach, staying through 1961 and compiling a 27-45-1 record.</p><p>Stallings later coached in the National Football League as an assistant under Tom Landry with the Dallas Cowboys for 14 years before being named head coach of the St. Louis (later Phoenix) Cardinals from 1986-89, going 23-34-1.</p><p>UA Director of Athletics Mal Moore coached alongside Stallings early in Stallings' coaching career at Alabama, and later on Stallings' staff both with the Cardinals and at Alabama.</p><p>“From his years as a young assistant coach under coach Bryant through his head coaching days here at Alabama, coach Stallings produced a career that is richly deserving of this recognition,” Moore said in a statement. “Coach Stallings was more than just a head coach at Alabama — his manner of doing things, his leadership and his passion took our entire program to another level.”</p><p>Stallings' collegiate coaching career was highlighted by an undefeated, 13-0 season in 1992 for the national title. The Crimson Tide was not ranked No. 1 in the nation until dispatching Miami, 34-13, in the Sugar Bowl.</p><p>Stallings' on-field record in seven seasons at Alabama (1990-96) was 70-16-1, although the NCAA only recognizes a 62-25 mark after stripping UA of eight victories and a tie from the 1993 season on an eligibility ruling. Stallings' third Alabama team won the inaugural Southeastern Conference Championship Game, 28-21 over Florida at Birmingham's Legion Field, just weeks before topping the Hurricanes for the national crown.</p><p>His tenure at UA also included four SEC West titles (1992, 1993, 1994, 1996), and five bowl victories.</p><p>“I think it's well deserved. I think it's a little late, too. I think it should have happened a long time ago,” said John Copeland, a star defensive end on Stallings' 1992 national championship team. “He's one of the best men on the planet. Of all the coaches I've had who I still talk to, head coaches, he and (former Hinds Community College coach) James Murphy were the most influential in my life. He's one of the best men I've ever run across.”</p><p>Ellis Johnson, who coached linebackers for Stallings at UA, saw championship qualities in the head coach's approach.</p><p>“When you talk about coach Stallings, there's a million things that could come to mind, but the one thing that separated him from anyone I've ever coached with was his consistency,” Johnson said. “He never varied. He never came up with a new practice trick or some gimmick to get the players up or get them back down.</p><p>“Every practice, every meeting, every game, every play was important.”</p><p>In winning, too, Stallings was consistent. Johnson notes that Stallings' average of 10 wins per season during his Alabama tenure restored the program's legacy. </p><p>“Coach brought that thing back to a level where if they only won nine games, people wondered what was wrong,” Johnson said.</p><p>Stallings also made an impact on the Tuscaloosa community beyond football. He was instrumental in the development of The Arc of Tuscaloosa County, a local nonprofit organization dedicated to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. His son, John Mark Stallings, who died Aug. 2, 2008, had Down syndrome.</p><p>“Every person associated with The Arc of Tuscaloosa County will be forever grateful to coach Gene Stallings,” said Donna Callahan, the organization's director of operations and outreach. “Twenty years ago, coach Stallings worked tirelessly to create the first golf tournament in the area. Proceeds from the tournament have augmented our operating fund, helping us expand our programs and services.</p><p>“Over the years we have purchased newer, safer transportation. We were also able to create a rainy-day fund. With proration and continuing funding challenges, that reserve is vital. One of the most important things coach Stallings did for us is to bring Johnny (John Mark) into our lives. We loved him and feel his presence still. The leadership and support we received from coach Stallings inspired us to reach higher than we ever thought we could.”</p><p>Former Wisconsin coach Barry Alvarez was the only coach inducted in the 2010 class along with Stallings. Also included in the class were the late Pat Tillman, who starred at Arizona State before giving up an NFL career to serve in the Army in 2002, and Heisman Trophy winner Desmond Howard. Others in Stallings' induction class: defensive lineman Dennis Byrd of North Carolina State; center Ronnie Caveness of Arkansas; defensive lineman Ray Childress of Texas A&M; guard Randy Cross of UCLA; running back Sam Cunningham of Southern California; quarterback Mark Herrmann of Purdue; receiver Clarkston Hines of Duke; defensive back Chet Moeller of Navy; halfback Jerry Stovall of LSU; and linebacker Alfred Williams of Colorado.</p><p><i></p><p>Reach Chase Goodbread at chase.goodbread@tuscaloosanews.com or at 205-722-0196. Executive sports editor Tommy Deas contributed to this report.</p>